North Park Theatre Presents: "North Star"
If all the world’s a stage, can’t the reverse be correct as well? For the most recent North Park Theatre production of Georgette Kelly’s “North Star,” it definitely feels true. The seats are few and circle around the stage, creating an intimate atmosphere designed with small crowds in mind. The set dressing encloses the audience from all sides: jagged tree branches hug the ends of the stage, creating the feeling of a secluded forest niche. A beautiful sky of stars is projected above, looming but not entirely detached from the events of the play -- for it is to the sky that the characters of “North Star” often find themselves looking for answers.
Directed by Jess Hutchinson, “North Star” is an ambitious production that tells two stories at once and intertwines the narratives seamlessly. The primary story concerns an all-female group of campers who are faced with harsh realities as gun violence wracks what they thought was a peaceful summer getaway. The second is a more fantastical tale inspired by French-Canadian mythology, where a group of stranded expeditioners come in contact with a mysterious stranger who grants them an offer they cannot refuse. Joining them together is the shared setting of the northern Minnesota woodlands, a wilderness where anything feels possible.
“North Star” will be performed on five more occasions: there will be a 7:30 PM show on November 9th, 10th, 15th, and 16th, as well as a 2:30 PM show on November 17th. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for general admission, but the November 15th performance is a “pay what you can” event. Performances will be held in the Lecture Hall Auditorium in Carlson Tower.
